Fabulous. The 5 is a lovely place to be and the term ‘luxury’ is fully deserved. The materials, the soft red lighting when you open the doors at night, the brilliant seats, amount of room in the back and the driving position are absolutely spot on.

The digital dashboard is a model of clarity and my test car had the Technology Package with a Head Up display which projects the speed and gear into your line of sight. You can add other functions such as the stereo as well but those are the main two and you don’t have to refocus and take your eyes off the road to read them.

It has the familiar rotary controller in between the front seats allowing you to select from the menus on the big screen on the dashboard and it is easier to use than some I can mention.

BMW may not like me saying this in what is supposed to be a ‘driver’s car’ but I found the interior by far the best part of it.

Driving: 4/5

The 520d range has a 2.0 litre four cylinder diesel which those who haven’t driven it may think a step down from the company’s wonderful six pot engines. They would be wrong.

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For one thing, this is obviously aimed at business drivers and its low CO2 emissions are a big advantage.

For another it is little beauty. Mated to an eight speed gearbox (semi automatic only, no manual option) and with plenty of torque it glides along but has the punch when the needle is in the top half of the rev counter to dispatch slower traffic in the blink of an eye.

The engine is excellent but I have only given this a 4/5 because of the ride. My car was an M Sport version and it may be me getting old but I think the 19 inch wheels and stiffer suspension compared to other models does it few favours on our roads. You can play with the damper settings but in reality, how many owners will after the first day?

I also had issues with the brakes. Coming to a halt in I like to just ease off the pedal a fraction at the last minute to avoid that nasty pitching motion and to make it smoother for me and any passengers but I found it slightly difficult to modulate the brakes.

Inside the BMW 520d M Sport

However, these are relatively minor points when set against what it does well which is make a lengthy journey easy and enjoyable. Cars this size are no fun around town or on tight country roads where their bulk plays against them but get it on a more open road and you can see why people rave about Beemers.

The chassis is inherently well balanced, that engine/transmission combo is a treat and the M Sport part does make it handle well. Note that I’m talking about the handling, not the ride, and with today’s tyres and suspension you should be able to have both working well.

Styling: 4/5

Not as head turning as the Mercedes Benz E Class, not as swoopy as the Jaguar XF, the 5 sticks to the traditional ‘three-box’ design (bonnet, cabin and boot). It’s sleek and pleasant but looks conservative in this class.

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Running costs: 5/5

At the time of writing we are still waiting to see what the government will do with diesel tax but for the record, my 520d M Sport had an official average of 66 mpg which translated into a highly respectable mid to high 50s in real life, and a CO2 output of 114 g/km.

It’s list price is £38,920 but BMW does like to load up on the options which added some £9,500 to that.

Verdict: 4/5

The 5 Series used to be the undisputed class leader, the car that set the standard for others to aspire to but I don’t think that is any longer the case. It is a very, very good car and that should go without saying. But so too is the Merc E Class, the Jaguar and Volvo has made huge strides in appeal and ability with its S90.

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Class leader? By coincidence I had the XF the week after the 5 Series and I will say the BMW beats that but not by a lot and it’s the same with the Volvo. The Audi A6 is an easy victim but the Mercedes is a different matter.

It may perhaps still be the best in class but if it is then only by a whisker.